‘Kind of Blue’ Unkind to Source of Inspiration

The Pasadena Jazz Institute, founded early this year, has been presenting a series of theme-oriented programs at the Pasadena Playhouse since July. Lacking the budget to bring in nationally known artists, director Paul Lines instead has opted to offer events dedicated to the music of Thelonious Monk, Art Blakey, Charlie Parker and others.

That’s an appealing approach to jazz production, and the result has been full-house attendance in the intimate balcony theater at the Playhouse. But the success of thematic programming depends upon maintaining a strong connection with the original material--not necessarily in the form of simulation or imitation, but in the sense of remaining true to the music’s creative perspective.

Thursday, in the opening performance of a four-night run titled “Kind of Blue”--centered upon the music of Miles Davis--that principal was too often overlooked. The result was a set of numbers in which the Davis reference was used primarily as the starting point for a succession of overly long, overly self-indulgent solos.

The program focused upon the groups of the ‘50s, opening with a collection of such Davis-associated items as “Someday My Prince Will Come,” and it devoted the second half of the evening to a rendering of the music from the classic “Kind of Blue” album. The ensemble--trumpeter Nolan Shaheed, alto saxophonist Zane Musa, tenor saxophonist Javier Vergara, pianist Danny Grissett, bassist John Heard and drummer Lorca Hart--included some of the Southland’s finest young players, anchored by the mature, dependable playing of Heard.

But Shaheed’s refusal to play with a mute tended to minimize the Davis aura, as did his improvising, which was both rhythmically and stylistically far removed from the flowing intimacy of Davis’ playing. And the effusive soloing of Musa and Vergara added far too many notes to the mix, a display of excess that simply underscored the remarkable ability of players such as John Coltrane and Julian “Cannonball” Adderley (both present in the original “Kind of Blue” sessions) to generate long but creatively compelling musical efforts.

The Pasadena Jazz Institute’s programs have the potential for providing attractive jazz offerings in the San Gabriel Valley. One hopes, however, that next week’s tribute to Dave Brubeck, “Time Out! for Christmas,” will remain truer to its musical source.